Wrench.



I. MATHENY.

WRENCH.

APFUCATIOH FILED NOV-23,1915. RENEWED MAY 39,1917.

1,%@,35& Patented July 3, 191?,

Witnesses M5 vaxwww by THURSTON mamsai, or THE PLA Iits, onto.

wnnnoit.

Specification of teammates,flair.

wi'encl1es,"and aims to provide an'o vel and improved wrench.

gth'e heatl atvarious"angles relative the handle, and a ws carried by the head,

one of which is adjustable so that the jaws can be applied to nuts, and other' articles of var oussizesu w p v i p lt isalsdwithin the scope of the invention to provide a wrench having the foregoing characteristics and which'at the same time is co'mparati vely simple and inexpensive in construction and manufacture as well'as be ing practical, convenient and eflicient in use.

With the foregoing and other-objects in view which will appearas' the description proceeds, the invention re sides in thB COIIIbP nation and arrangement of parts and in the i W in, v-ha details ofconstructlon hereinafter described and claimed, it belng noted that changes 1n the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved wrench.

Fig. 2 is an opposite side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the wrench.

The wrench embodies a handle 1 preferably in the form of a compound curve, and having at its outer end, a circular cheek plate 2 at one side. The handle 1 is provided at its other side with a transverse recess 3 extending from one edge to the other and with an oblique channel 4 intersecting the recess 3 and extending radially of the cheek plate 2. 5O

side plate '5 covers the recess 3 and channel 4 and is secured to the handle 1 by means of a screw 6 or equivalent securing element, the outer end of the plate projecting parallel with the plate 2, and a screw 7 or other securing element engaged through the enter and ot the plate and threadedly The wrench" embodies nov'ei means for holdi or ether-wise engages the center of the hase. M K .7

This screw Hones apii ot for thewrench head'S which isv of circular outline, the head 8 beingifiounted for rotation 'upon the screw, or element" between the plates 2 and 5, and the periphery or margin of thehead 8 is provided with notches 9 -adapted to aline one at a time with the channel 45 as the headis swung relativeto the handle,

The liead 8 is provided with an outwardly projected fiXed or stationary jaw 10, and with zt"tr'z1nsye1 se passage 11 at the butt or basalehdoi' the jaw 10. A'sliding'o r movable jaw 12 cooperates with the jaw 10 and has a" shank 13 disposed'slidably in thepassage 11 so that the jaw 12 can." be moved toward and away from the jaw 10 to accoinm'ojdate vario'ussiZ'es of nu'ts an'do'th'er articles. r

The inner edge of the shank 13 is provided with alongitudin'al series of rack teeth l l, and: the headS provided with a transverse recess 15 adjaceiitthe shank 13 and in which is disposed a' worm 16 meshing with the teeth 14 and mounted rotatablyupon a shatter-spindle 17 terinihallyengaged with the head 8 beyond the ends of the recess 15.

The worm 16 projects from the recess 15 in order that it can be readily rotated by the thumb or finger, for adjusting the jaw 12. These jaws 10 and 12 preferably overlap the edge or margin of the plate 2, as seen by reference to Fig. t, whereby to brace the jaws.

The latch device for holding the head 8 at various angles relative to the handle, embodies a transverse lever 18 disposed within the recess 3, and having one end pivotally engaged upon a stud or lug 19 with which the handle 1 is provided within one end of the recess 3. The other or free end of the lever 18 has a finger or thumb piece 21 projecting out of the respective end of the recess 3 upon which the thumb or finger can be placed for swinging the lever. A latch bolt or dog 26 is slidable within the channel 4 across the recess 3, so that its outer end is engageable in the notches 9, and the bolt 26 is provided at one side with a recess 27 through which the lever 18 projects. The free end of the lever 18 has a lug 28 projecting therefrom into the recess 27 and adapted to contact with the end wall 29 of said recess 27 when thelever is swung away from the wrench head, and this will.

retract the bolt 26 from the head to release the same. When the bolt 26 is released, the head can be swung freely to properly. posi tion the head and handle relative to one another.

A spring is employed for normally moving the bolt 26 toward and" into engagement with the wrench head, and to this end a wire spring 22 is employed, the same having an intermediate coil 23 disposed upon the stud 19, one terminal 24 of the spring being engaged with the free end of the lever 18, and the other terminal 25 being engaged with the handle 1 at one side of the recess The spring 22 tends to swing the lever 18 toward the wrench head to thereby project the bolt 26 into engagement with the wrench head.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, it is evident that the wrench can be employed generally for applying and removing nuts, bolts and the like. The wrench is particularly useful for tightening and loosening nuts in close quarters where the handle cannot be given a full swinging movement. Thus, when the head is applied to the nut, the handle may be swung a limited amount, and by releasing the latch bolt 26 and swinging the handle backwardly, the latch bolt can be engaged with the next notch 9 to again rotate the nut one step. This can be repeated as often as necessary to loosen or tighten the nut. The angular adjustment of the head is also of advantage for other purposes as will sug gest themselves to the user.

The plate 5 holds the head 8, spring 22,

lever 18 and bolt 26 in place, so that by removing the plate, said parts can be readily removed when necessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A wrench embodying a handle having a cheek plate at its outer end, a transverse recess adjacent said plate, and a channel intersecting said recess,"a plate attached to said handle to cover said recess and channel and projecting parallel with said cheek plate, a pivot element connecting said plates, a head rotatable upon said element and hav ing marginal notches, a latch bolt slidable in said channel to engage said notches and having a recess, said handle having a stud in one end of its recess, a lever pivotally engaged upon said. stud and projecting through the recess of the bolt, the free end of the lever having a finger piece projecting from the recess of the handle, and a spring upon said stud between the handle and lever to normally project the bolt into engagement with the head.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed myv signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THURSTON MATHENY.

Witnesses:

L. A. K oNs,

J. L. KAELFORD.

Gopie of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

